Over the years, Ferrari has made a lot of promises during testing for Formula 1, but has also disappointed in the races that followed. However, the Scuderia will be able to pursue Red Bull and three-time world champion Max Verstappen at the front of the grid following three days of testing and 416 laps of track data.
After Adrian Newey’s aerodynamic eighth wonder of the world, the RB20, astounded Formula One spectators with its cutting-edge design, expectations were raised early on that the Austrian team would easily defeat the rest of the field.
Testing on Day 1 revealed that those projections were accurate, with Verstappen leading the field by an entire second. However, Ferrari’s SF-24 was breathtaking in the Middle Eastern sun, and on Days 2 and 3, it delivered the show that everyone had been waiting for.
Ferrari’s circumspect optimism
In the morning practice on Day 2, Charles Leclerc beat Verstappen’s record by eight tenths, and in the afternoon, Carlos Sainz, who was preparing for his eventual season-ending retirement, became the first driver to complete a lap around the track in under ninety seconds on the C4 tire.
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